Crassula atropurpurea D.Dietr.

Species

Angiosperms > Saxifragales > Crassulaceae > Crassula

Characteristics

Perennial shrublets up to 0.6 m high, rarely only with basal rosette, more or less branched, with carnose to woody branches, with old leaves deciduous. Leaves oblanceolate to obovate, rarely linear-elliptic, (8-)15-30(-60) x (3-)6-25(-35) mm, obtuse to truncate, rarely acute, dorsiventrally flattened and slightly convex on both surfaces to almost terete, usually with distinct horny margin, with erect or recurved hairs and papillae or glabrous, green to yellowish green or tinged red, rarely deep red. Inflorescence an elongated thyrse usually with a number of dichasia (i.e. part-inflorescences are produced from (2)3-5(6) nodes of central axis), with peduncle 0.15-0.4 m long, glabrous to densely hairy. Calyx: lobes oblong-triangular, 2-3 mm long, usually obtuse, covered with spreading hairs and marginal cilia, fleshy, green to red. Corolla tubular to almost cylindrical, fused basally for 0.5-0.8 mm, cream; lobes panduriform, 3.5-4.5 mm long, each ending in an almost beak-like erect apex, rarely with a dorsal appendage in terminal position but usually more or less furrowed on inside. Stamens with yellow anthers. Squamae oblong-cuneate, 0.5-0.9 x 0.3-0.6 mm, truncate or slightly emarginate, more or less constricted downwards, fleshy, yellow to orange.
More
Perennial dwarf shrub, succulent, much branched, erect, slightly woody, 0.6 m high, sometimes only basal rosettes, old leaves deciduous. Leaves opposite, oblanceolate to obovate, 15-30 x 6-25 mm, obtuse to truncate, slightly convex on both surfaces, with hairs and papillae, margins horny, green to yellowish green with reddish margins. Inflorescence an elongate, terminal thyrse with several globular dichasia from 3-5 nodes; flowers sessile; peduncle 0.15-0.40 m long, glabrous to hairy. Calyx fleshy, green to red, with hairs, marginal cilia. Corolla tubular, fused 0.5-0.8 mm, cream-coloured; lobes panduriform, 3.5-4.5 mm long, beak-like, erect apex, dorsal appendage rare, furrowed on inside. Flowering time Oct.-Dec.
Much-branched shrublet, 0.05-0.6 m tall. Leaves oblanceolate to obovate to linear-elliptic, dorsiventrally flattened and slightly convex above and below, 15-30 x 6-25 mm, green or tinged red, glabrous to pubescent. Flowers in many, round clusters in an elongated, 3-many-branched inflorescence, on a pubescent peduncle 0.15-0.4 m long, tubular, petals 3.5-4.5 mm long, fused in lower 0.8 mm, with a long terminal appendage, cream.
Shrublet to 60 cm, branches fleshy to woody. Leaves opposite, oblanceolate to obovate, usually hairy and papillate, margins horny. Flowers in globular clusters forming elongate panicles, tubular, cream-coloured, ± 4 mm long.
A small shrub. It grows 50-60 cm tall. The leaves are narrowly oval and 15-30 mm long by 6-25 mm wide. The flowers are in many round clusters. The flowers are tube shaped and cream coloured.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.6
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a subtropical plant.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 6-7
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

The leaves are used to curdle milk.
Uses -
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Crassula atropurpurea unspecified picture

Distribution

Crassula atropurpurea world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:272983-1
WFO ID wfo-0000624813
COL ID Z743
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Globulea clavifolia Crassula atropurpurea Crassula micrantha Crassula smutsii Crassula clavifolia Crassula obliqua Globulea atropurpurea Crassula clavifolia var. marginata Globulea atropurpurea var. smutsii Crassula clavifolia var. rosularis Crassula atropurpurea var. atropurpurea

Lower taxons

Crassula atropurpurea var. anomala Crassula atropurpurea var. cultriformis Crassula atropurpurea var. muirii Crassula atropurpurea var. purcellii Crassula atropurpurea var. watermeyeri